Hi, Jaclyn!
What an exciting vacation you have on the horizon - not only your first Disney Cruise, but a
Very Merrytime Cruise! What a wonderful way to ring in the season. I love to hear that you'll be making this a Land and Sea adventure with a visit to Walt Disney World Resort after your cruise. Disney transfers make the transition from ship to shore very seamless, so you can move on to the next leg of your vacation.
On the last night of your cruise, you'll receive Disney Character-themed luggage tags in your stateroom to place on your bags, which you'll fill out with your stateroom number, name, and address. You'll be asked to place your luggage in the hallway outside your stateroom by 10pm for delivery to the terminal. You'll want to keep your valuables in a day bag (cash/credit cards, jewelry, medicine, passports/birth certificates, etc.) to carry off the ship with you. Make sure to also keep your Key to the World Card with you, as you'll need to scan it as you exit the ship. Important tip: Make sure to keep an outfit to wear off the ship on Debarkation Day. Some guests forget, and pack all but their PJs, and you do NOT want to be that guest, walking through customs in your pajamas!
When you enter the terminal, your bags will be stored in sections designated by the Disney Character-themed luggage tags, so it's easy to reunite with your belongings and go through customs. Porters are on hand to help with your bags as you go through the customs process, and will help load your bags onto your Disney motorcoach, for your journey to Walt Disney World Resort! (Make sure to tip the porters if you use their services - they're awesome!)
When you arrive at your resort to check in, simply let the Bell Captain know if you need assistance getting your bags to your room.
I hope this helps with your planning! - Diane W.